Modern life at 70+. An IDP made new friends and gained proper legal knowledge

Publication date: May 15, 2024

Author: Tetiana Pliasunova, lawyer at the NGO Agency for Democratic Development of Donbas.

Daryna Maksymivna lived in the suburbs of Donetsk for 63 years. She worked as a saleswoman and then retired. She happily lived her quiet life, spending time in her small garden, growing flowers and caring for her small farm, chickens, and cat Murzyk—until the war came to her country in 2014.

For two weeks, Daryna and her cat had to hide in the basement of her house until the house was destroyed, and the owner and Murzyk were evacuated to Zaporizhzhia. Thus, at 63, Daryna Maksymivna began a new, unknown life — the life of an internally displaced person.

For a year and a half, she lived in a dormitory where volunteers had taken her. Then, almost accidentally, she found a page in her passport with the phone number of an old friend from Zaporizhzhia. They called each other, talked, and decided to stay and live together.

Daryna Maksymivna began to lead a more active life and to socialize more. For example, recently, she heard from people about the work and projects of our NGO, the Agency for Democratic Development of Donbas, whose team was also displaced from Donetsk oblast due to the war.

Daryna came to our organization, where she learned a lot of new and exciting things, met new friends, and gained new knowledge, including legal knowledge: she consulted our lawyers about benefits and legislation on this issue.

When she heard that she could apply for compensation for her destroyed home through the Diia app, she asked for more information. The digital mentor helped the pensioner install the Diia mobile app on her phone and taught her how to use it. Now, Daryna Maksymivna plans to use the state program “eVidnovlennia” (“eRecovery”) to get funds for her war-damaged house. The woman also told us how surprised she was that even in her 70s, she could acquire and use such modern knowledge successfully.

The material was created with the support of GlobalGiving, an international charity platform, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Legal Development Network is solely responsible for the publication’s content.

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